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How Trust in Institutions Affects Population Health Outcomes
When an infectious disease spreads throughout a population, public institutions such as the government and the media, have a significant influence on the actions of society during the health crisis. The influence they have varies, positively or negatively, depending on many factors of the individuals, including their trust for these institutions.

During the outbreak of any infectious disease, higher institutions carry responsibility for the health outcomes of the population they represent. While the individual is responsible for their own decision-making, their decisions are heavily influenced by the government, media, and scientists of which they may or may not have trust in.

Certain research suggests that in the midst of an outbreak, society is more likely to put trust in their governing body and follow the prevention measures they have put in place. While there were cases in which the governmental regulations had negative consequences that had not been predicted, for many others this was not the case. Despite varying psychological effects, the people generally showed trust in the public health officials. Even when the government is not necessarily handling the situation in the most effective manner, the people still look up to them during a health crisis. This could potentially have unexpected negative effects on the population health outcomes.

While societies may typically exhibit trust in the government, this is not the only institution influencing the people. The media is a major component of a health crisis response, and has significant influence on the societies they broadcast for. Some research has suggested that there is a strong correlation between distrust in the media and not following public health guidelines, such as getting vaccinated. The actions of the people of the society depends on their trust in these public health officials.

This all being said, there is no doubt that higher institutions can influence the health outcomes of their populations. However, the attitudes of trust can differ between the government/public health officials and the media, depending on the situation. In an outbreak of infectious disease, where the entire population's health is at stake, it is important to understand the consequences of having too much trust or distrust in these higher institutions.